ꜱʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ _ ᴇɴʜʏᴘᴇɴ 8ᴛʜ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ

= anxious =

Enhypen just had their rehearsal for their performance at MMA and everything was going downhill for Lily. She had been a beat late for the choreography that causes her to panic. And the slippery floor due to someone spilling water on it was making it worse. Lily even fell during her duo with Niki.

After the rehearsal, they went back into their dressing room where Lily went quiet. Her mind is everywhere, out of place as she thinks about the mistakes she made just now. Surely, it was just rehearsal and she could do better on the real performance but making mistakes during rehearsal is usually a sign of doom. It's like an unsaid curse in the K-Pop industry.

Sunoo sat next to Lily and handed her a cold drink. She took it and thank him. "Don't think too much about it, Lily. You're barely recovered from that bad fever. A little mistake is okay." She tried to take what Sunoo said as something to comfort her but she can't. It's true that she had just recovered from a really bad fever yesterday. There's still traces of it, even now. However, she is a perfectionist that goes crazy over a small, tiny mistake.

If it was someone else who made the mistake, she would comfort them and tell them that it's okay but now that it's her who's the one at fault, she can't seem to apply those tactics on herself. Jake suddenly appears and sat on the couch in front of Lily and Sunoo. "Yeah, angel. You're probably just thinking it too much that causes you to unable to focus. Relax a bit, hmm?"

"I guess I think too much about it," sighed Lily as she got up to get ready for the award show that night. "It's okay, angel. I have a feeling that you'll crush the stage tonight. You'll do so great that people are amazed with you." Lily thanked Jake for the kind word even if it does nothing to calm her down. Still, she think about what he said and tried her hardest to not think about it too much.

Niki came out from the restroom and his eyes keep going over to Lily. The fall took a toll on her. He could see her eyes glossing with tears but she held it back. It's clear that she's disappointed in herself. However, Niki stands differ. He don't think that it was Lily's fault. The stage is slippery and she was simply doing as she practiced. Also, she was too hung up on her mistake from before that her emotions get the best of her.

He approached Lily with her favorite chocolate bar in his hand. "Here." He handed the chocolate bar to Lily who's looking at him in confusion. "Keep it up, nuna. You're going to kill it tonight. Fighting."

Lily smiled, "thank you, Niki."

"Don't mention it. Just don't get too hung up on your mistakes earlier. It's in the past. For now, focus on doing your best for the performance. I know you can do it, nuna." The girl nodded her head as she unwrapped the chocolate bar to take a bite out of it. Her stomach is grumbling but she was so anxious that she can't even eat anything or she will throw up. The chocolate bar will have to do until after the award show.

••

Not long after, it's finally their turn to perform. They did their usual group cheer before getting into positions. Lily's hands are shaking out of nervousness. She tried all kinds of tricks there are to make it go away but she just can't. Lily even tried imagining things that would make her less nervous but nothing is working.

Their performance started with a duo dance by Heeseung and Jungwon. After the short dance, the other members will get on stage for their first song of the night, which is Bite Me.

There is a part where Lily had to hold Heeseung's hand from behind him in the choreo but she missed his hands because she was trembling a lot. Heeseung then looked over at her when it's not his part as the center. He knows for a fact that Lily is already blaming herself for the simple mistake that no one even paid attention to.

Lily can't stop thinking about the mistake she made that she can't hide the disappointment on her face. Finally, after Bite Me, it's finally Niki's and Lily's duo part. They had to dance together in close proximity and Niki could feel Lily's breathing increasing rapidly. It's not the usual kind of breathing when she's tired from dancing but it's the kind of breathing that happens due to her being in too much stress.

"Calm down, nuna. I got you."

Although the choreography doesn't call for Niki to hold Lily's hand, he still did it. While he's holding her hand, he gave it gentle taps on the back of her hand, a soft signal for her to get back on track and be her best self. Lily exhales softly to regulate her breathing and gave her all out during the performance.

The performance went on smoothly, much to Lily's surprise. And once they all got off stage, she can't stop smiling. Niki chuckled, "told you. What are so worried about, nuna?"

"I don't know. Maybe I overthink it. But thank you for believing in me when I don't even believe in myself, Niki. That means a lot to me." Lily sighed in content as she went to hug Niki. The maknae patted Lily's back gently. Then, Heeseung joined the hug out of the blue, shocking the two whilst the eldest is just laughing. "You two were so cool on stage. I'm so proud."

Lily snorted, "oh come on. It's not like you were killing it with Jungwon too. Good job, oppa." Heeseung pulled away to look at the two younger members with a proud smile. "I could proudly say that I raised you guys."

"No, you didn't." The two retorted but Heeseung had already walked away while bragging how proud he is to see his babies growing up so fast. Niki sighed in disbelief, "there goes Heeseung hyung and his 'I raised them' agenda." He even did the quote on quote hand actions, making Lily shrugged her shoulders. "Let's just go. I'm already so embarrassed as it is."

She then walked away, following Heeseung who is bragging to anyone he came across about the two younger members of Enhypen, making Lily blushes madly. Niki, on the other hand is just shaking his head and covering his face. "God. I thought he would stop. Hyung! Nuna! Wait for me!"

Surely, he won't stop, never. I mean, why would he when they make him swell with pride? That's his babies right there.

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